1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical devices and methods. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices and methods for localizing lesions and other target sites in solid tissue, such as breast tissue.
Radiography is quite effective in determining the presence, size, and general location of tumors and other lesions in breast and other solid tissues. Relying directly on radiographic images to locate the site of a lesion in surgical and biopsy procedures, however, can be very difficult. In particular, since tissue is soft and subject to deformation when accessed with scalpels and other surgical instruments, the lesion can move from an initial location indicated in the radiographic image, making surgical access very difficult.
To at least partly alleviate this problem, tissue localization wires have been developed. Such wires are small diameter, flexible rods having a barb, hook, or other anchor at their distal tips. Such wires can be introduced through a needle or cannula under fluoroscopic guidance so that the tip can be anchored immediately adjacent to the site of the lesion. The surgeon can then follow the shaft of the wire to its tip, and remove the lesion adjacent to the tip with a reasonably high degree of precision.
While the use of such tissue localization wires has been a significant improvement, the need to follow the shaft of the wire to its distal end is problematic. Most surgical procedures for removing tumors and other lesions still rely on manual use of a scalpel to access the lesion site. Following the wire shaft with a scalpel is difficult, and the surgeon will often inadvertently and excessively cut into healthy tissue surrounding the shaft. Moreover, the presence of the shaft can damage the scalpel blade and interfere in other ways with the procedure being performed. In addition, the need to follow the wire shaft precludes alternate access routes that may be advantageous, e.g., by providing a more direct access route or by passing through less healthy tissue.
In addition to biopsy and removal of primary lesions, breast cancer surgery often involves the removal of lymph nodes which may have received metastatic cells as the result of lymph drainage. While it is most common to remove all of a patient""s axillary nodes when nodal involvement is suspected, such removal is associated with significant morbidity and patient discomfort. A less traumatic alternative is to remove only those lymph nodes which have received lymphatic drainage from the primary lesion. These lymph nodes, referred to as the sentinel node(s), may be identified by injecting a radioisotopic or other detectable marker to the region of the primary lesion and detecting to which node(s) the marker drains. It has been found that the lymph drainage path from a primary tumor will usually go to one or a very few of such sentinel node(s). When using radioactive markers, the sentinel node(s) can then be generally located using a scintillation counter passed over the patient""s skin. The node(s) can then be surgically removed using a scalpel, but such removal can be difficult since lymph nodes are hard to locate.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide improved methods and devices for localizing target tissue sites within solid tissue particularly including tumors and other lesions within breast tissue. The localization methods and devices will preferably permit visual or optical detection of the target site without the need to surgically follow the shaft or other path created by a localization wire. In particular, it would be desirable to provide localization markers which are visible through relatively thick layers of solid tissue in order to permit surgical access over preferred routes without interference from localization wires or other physical structure. Such improved methods and devices for localizing target tissues should be useful for the identification of sentinel node(s) which have previously been marked with a radioisotopic or other marker, as well as with primary tumors and other lesions. At least some of these objectives will be met by the invention described hereinafter.
2. Description of the Background Art
Breast lesion localization and/or biopsy devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,660,185; 5,647,674; 5,556,410; 5,409,004; 5,353,804; 5,221,269; 5,197,482; 4,966,583; 4,774,948; and 4,592,356. U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,084 discloses a particular localization wire having palpable markers for assisting a surgeon in locating the site of a lesion.
The use of infrared light for illuminating the ureter during abdominal surgery is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,517,997 and 5,423,321. The purpose of the illumination is to warn the surgeon of the ureter location and avoid accidental injury to the ureter.
The use of infrared and other light radiation for imaging and/or evaluating tissue structures is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,792,215; 5,014,713; 4,817,622; 4,813,422; 4,541,438; and 4,248,214.
The removal of a sentinel lymph node in breast cancer surgery is described in Krag (1999) J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 91:302-303; Veronesi et al. (1999) J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 91:368-373; and McMasters (1998) N. Engl. J. Med. 339:990-995.
The full disclosures of each of the above listed U.S. patents are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention provides improved methods, devices, and kits for localizing target sites in solid tissue. While the present invention is particularly useful for marking tumors and other lesions in breast tissue to facilitate subsequent biopsy and/or tissue removal, it will also find use in the marking of virtually any fluoroscopically visible target site in any type of solid tissue for virtually any purpose. A significant advantage of the present invention is that the localization may be performed visually or optically and does not depend on surgically following a path defined by the shaft of a localization wire. While in most cases a wire will be employed to mark the target site, surgical access to the site can be obtained from virtually any direction and does not need to follow the shaft of the localization wire itself. Moreover, even in cases where it is desired to follow the shaft to the target site, the ability to concurrently visualize or optically detect the target site facilitates following the shaft.
A method according to the present invention for localizing a target site in solid tissue comprises percutaneously introducing an illumination source, and detecting the emitted illumination transmitted through tissue to mark the target site therein. Usually, the method will further comprise removing a portion of the solid tissue in the region of the emitted illumination, either for purposes of biopsy or for removal of a tumor or other diseased tissue. The removal step may comprise manually cutting tissue while detecting the emitted illumination, where the direction of cutting is based at least in part on the observed position within the tissue of the emitted illumination, i.e., the illumination acts as a beacon guiding the surgeon to the target site.
In a first exemplary embodiment, the introducing step comprises anchoring a wire in the solid tissue, where the wire carries the illumination source. The illumination source may be a passive source for transmitting externally generated illumination down the wire to an emitting element, such as an optical fiber having a dispersive element therein. Alternatively, the illumination source may comprise an active element, such as a light generating element, typically a light emitting diode.
Usually, the illumination source will be a point source. By point source, it is meant that the illumination source is not extended or distributed along a significant length or area. In particular, the point source will usually have a maximum width, length, or other dimension of 1 cm, preferably being less than 0.5 cm. Also preferably, the point or other illumination source will emit radiation isotropically, i.e., generally equally in all directions. In some cases, however, the illumination source need not be isotropic and can instead be directional, particularly when it is known or controllable in what orientation the illumination source will be within the solid tissue. For such directional sources, it will then be necessary to point the source in a desired direction so that it can be observed or detected while the procedure is being performed. The illumination source may be of any detectable type, usually being visible light or infrared radiation. Infrared radiation is particularly preferred since infrared radiation (preferably at a wavelength from 600 nm to 900 nm) will penetrate tissue.
The emitted illumination may be detected visually or via an electronic detector. For example, a surgeon performing tissue excision or biopsy may visually observe the emitted light and use the light as a guide or beacon when manually cutting the tissue with a scalpel or other surgical instrument. Alternatively, optical detection may be performed using an infrared or light detector and the position of the illumination source presented or analyzed electronically. In particular, the detected illumination can be presented on a video display.
As an alternative to utilizing a localization wire, the methods of the present invention can be performed using an injectable or implantable illumination source. For example, a small capsule containing a light-emitting diode and a battery can be percutaneously introduced using a cannula or needle. The cannula or needle will be used to inject the capsule under fluoroscopic observation at the target site. The capsule will remain at the target site after the needle or cannula is withdrawn. Illumination from the capsule may then be used for detecting the target site by any of the techniques described above.
In an alternative aspect of present invention, detectable markers may be positioned in tissue during or immediately following a biopsy procedure, such as a percutaneous stereotactic biopsy of breast or other tissue. The detectable marker will usually be fully implantable (i.e., it will not be part of a localization wire which extends transcutaneously through tissue), and it may be placed using the same cannula or other instrument(s) used to perform the tissue biopsy. In a simple form, the marker may be a radiopaque capsule, cleat, anchor, or other implantable component that permits subsequent fluoroscopic, x-ray, energy-mediated detection. Preferably, however, the detectable marker will comprise an illumination source as described above. Even more preferably, the illumination source will be associated with a power source which is remotely switchable so that the marker can be initially implanted in a non-powered or switched-off state on order to conserve power and reduce the size required for the power source. Then, when it becomes necessary to locate the marker for any reason (e.g., if the biopsy indicates that a lesion is cancerous and needs to be removed), the surgeon can then ultrasonically or otherwise signal the implanted marker to initiate illumination to permit detection. In other cases, even when the biopsy is negative, the radiopaque or other markers will be useful to indicate the site(s) of prior biopsies for future reference.
In addition to marking primary lesions and tumors in breast and other tissue, the methods of the present invention may be used to assist in the localization of lymph nodes, such as sentinel lymph nodes, which have been marked with radioisotopic or other markers according to well known techniques. By aligning the illumination source of the present invention with the labeled lymph node, subsequent biopsy or surgical removal can be greatly facilitated. Alignment can be achieved using an external scintillation counter where the illumination source of the present invention is then introduced according to the best judgment of the treating physician. Optionally, after the general location of the labeled node is determined, the node can be ultrasonically imaged and the wire more precisely positioned based on the image. Alternatively, the illumination source can be combined or used together with a scintillation counter or component thereof which is percutaneously introduced to help localize the radioisotopic marker. In some instances, it may be advantageous to provide the marker or shaft carrying the marker with scintillation counting capability, as described in more detail below in connection with the devices of the present invention.
Devices according to the present invention comprise a wire having a proximal end, a distal end, and an anchor near the distal end. The wire further comprises an illumination source on the wire, where the illumination source provides for emitted illumination useful in methods as described above. Usually, the illumination source is a point source. For example, the illumination source may comprise an optical fiber disposed axially on or within the wire, where the optical fiber is adapted to transmit light from an external source and to emit the transmitted light in a generally isotropic pattern from a point on the wire. Alternatively, the illumination source can comprise a light generating element, such as a light-emitting diode.
In some instances, the devices of the present invention may further comprise a scintillation counter or a component thereof. For example, an optical fiber which is coated with a scintillation material may be disposed on or in the localization wire. In some cases it may be possible to utilize the same optical fiber which is also used to deliver optical energy to the illumination source. Thus, in a first mode of operation, the wire may be introduced to the region of a lymph node which has been labeled with a radioisotope. Once in the general region, the wire can be more specifically positioned based on detection of the emissions from the radionuclide based on scintillation material on the optical fiber, i.e., light will be generated and appear at an end or portion of the optical fiber which is external to the patient. Once the wire has been properly positioned, the light source can be coupled to the same optical fiber in order to transmit infrared or other optical energy to the region of the lymph node.
The present invention further comprises kits including a localization wire having an anchor and an illumination source thereon together with instructions for use according to any of the methods set forth above. Usually, the kit will further comprise packaging, such as a pouch, tray, tube, box, or other conventional package type. The instructions for use may be printed on a separate sheet of paper or may be printed in part or entirely on the packaging material. Other system components, such as needles, cannulas, and the like, may also be included in the kit. Usually, all kit components will be maintained sterilely within the package.